THE POLISH NATIONAL RADIO
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF KATOWICE

It may seem somewhat odd to find a Polish orchestra recording the music of Ernesto Lecuona but a hallmark of strong present day orchestral proficiency is adaptability. Indeed, in every aspect, particularly since the fall of communist ruling authorities, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra has emerged as one of the best symphonic ensembles in Eastern Europe. In many ways, the PNRSO has surpassed other more well-known orchestras both in the quality and quantity of its performances in addition to its numerous activities in the recording studio.

The PNRSO has had a long and distinguished musical history. It was founded by Grzegorz Fitelberg in 1934 in Warsaw. The war interrupted its activities but the ensemble resumed in March of 1945, in Katowice, a Silesian city and the capital of Poland's mining region. Katowice turned out to be the logical permanent home for the orchestra; it had escaped much of the devastation brought on by the war, it was a major industrial center filled with a population that had strong cultural awareness, and it had an excellent concert hall. By the late forties and fifties, the orchestra had reached its present size of over 100 musicians and was making tours throughout Europe. Later, starting in the 70's, it toured the USA and more recently has been heard in the Orient.

Although touring and an extended concert schedule have grown over the years, the heart of the orchestra's mission has been recording and broadcasting. While a significant part of this has been the championing of compositions by Polish composers such as Penderecki, Lutoslawski, Szymanowski, Moniuski, Goretzski, Paderewski, and Chopin, to name but a few, the orchestra has broadcast or commited to disc or tape most of the standard repertoire, hundreds of film scores and many important premieres. In addition, many of the most important and reknowned conductors and soloists frequently appear with the orchestra.

The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra has recorded for: BIS, Newport Classic, SONY, EMI/Angel, Naxos, Musicmasters, Panthenon, CRI, Polski Nagrania and AMPECO.